With one game to spare, the Rangers have finally punched their ticket to this years Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a thrilling win over the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday night, the Rangers were back for more, led by star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 37 out of 38 shots. Rangers' forwards Ryan Callahan and Markus Naslund were the only two who hit the back of the net. So what does this mean for Broadway Blue?
Currently, the Rangers sit as the 7th seed due to the tie breaker (wins). If the season were to end tomorrow, they would face Alex Ovechkin and the red hot Capitals. The Rangers this year are 1-2-1 against them, winning their only game in a shootout. When it comes to goaltending, advantage Rangers, but everything else is in favor of the Caps. They have three star forwards and one of the best defensemen in the league in Mike Green. The speed and physical strength of the Capitals might be much for the Rangers.
If the Rangers lose Sunday against the Flyers and the Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, this would put the Rangers back as the 8th seed, leaving them a first round date with the Boston Bruins. However, this matchup seems more favorable than the other with the Capitals. The Rangers are 2-2 this year against the Bruins in which they were shut out 1-0 in both of their losses. Goaltending again is in favor of the Rangers, but what sticks out the most is the Rangers experience in the playoffs. The Blue Shirts have two Stanley Cup Champions, Drury and Scott Gomez, and one who has been in the Stanley Cup Finals in Wade Redden. The Bruins on the other hand have very minimal post season experience which could ultimatley lead to their downfall. If the Rangers end up being the 8th seed, they should be able to give the Bruins everything they can handle.
The picture shown was taken by Getty Images
No comments:
Post a Comment